Critic's Review
Ken Tataki, All Music Guide
One of the stiffer releases from Chris Jeffs (Cylob, Kinesthesia), this is a stuttering, non-atmospheric foray into noise manipulation. "Wanking Off on Other People's Misery" showcases his drum-programming skills more than song structure, without falling into his trademark crunchy distortion that mostly dominates the disc. A couple humorous sex-phone soundbites pepper the aggressiveness, and make for a curious but welcome addition. Track five, "Smash Up the Pram," makes the most of melodious buzzing; "Stomping FM" is equal parts energizing and robotic, like tapping directly into the feed line of a PC modem that bounces to a finish. "Griller Warfare" brings the disc to a near close, plodding and thumping along like the giant gurgling lobster on the CD cover (drawn by video director Chris Cunningham, who's done breathtaking work for jörk, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher). Jeffs likely had more fun putting this EP together than people will enjoy listening to it, but it's still a fine addition to the distinctive Rephlex catalog (headed by Grant Wilson-Claridge and obvious influence Richard "Aphex Twin" James). Collectors may hold onto this EP, while the uninitiated will likely trade it in for something with a bit more soul.
